WBB falls to #13 VaTech 81-79 -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Here we are again y'all! Another weekend ahead and very much needed.  

I appreciate you checking back in with us at Cardinal Couple to catch up on the Cards and enjoy reading your thoughts in the comment section as well.  

Students are back on campus at UofL for the first week of classes and the WBB Cards are knee deep into the conference schedule and on the road this weekend.  
 

WBB

photo: gocards.com

Louisville fell Thursday night against #13 Virginia Tech 81-79.   The Cards had a chance to tie it or take the lead in the final 30 seconds but weren't able to convert.  It was a night where the Louisville bigs were not able to remain on the floor.   Olivia Cochran was on the floor for 10 minutes, Liz Dixon had the most opportunity with 24 minutes and only 4 points to show for it and Josie Williams with 12 strong minutes up against reigning ACC POY Elizabeth Kitley.  All three Cardinals finished with 4 fouls.  

Hailey Van Lith lead all scorers with 29 points going 10-26 from the field with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.  22 of her 29 were in the second half. 

For the Hokies,  Taylor Soule fouled out with about 3 minutes left in the game finishing with 24 points while Kitley scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.   

 

End of 1Q    20-14 VT

FG %
7-13 53.8 %  Cards
9-17 52.9%   VT
Reb.   8-7  VT
3-pt %
0-3 0%        Cards
1-6 16.7%   VT

Some technical difficulties (ACCNX crap) kept me from getting eyes on the game until the second quarter but with the Cards up 14-12, the Hokies went on a 8-0 run to close out the first quarter and establish a 20-14 lead over UofL.  Kitley went 5-5 to jump start her scoring on the night.   UofL committed 6 of their 15 turnovers in the first quarter.  Cochran went 2-2 for only 4 points on the evening while also picking up two fouls in 7 minutes on the floor. 

End of 2Q    18-16 Cards 

FG %
7-14 50% Cards
7-16  43.8%
Reb.  9-7 Cards
3-pt %
2-5 40% Cards
1-4 25%  VT

The Hokies turned the ball over when Mykasa Robinson stole it and drove it in for the layup.   She finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in all 10 minutes of the quarter.  VaTech would gain as many as 7 points better than UofL at 23-16.  This was about when I was able to tune in.   Josie Williams had a confident couple of minutes when she attempted a 3 pointer and missed but was able to connect on the second chance attempt when Robinson grabbed the offensive rebound after the miss.  She hit another one when Kitley turned it over to make it 23-20 VT.  The Cards hit their first 3 with about 4 minutes left in the half, courtesy of HVL to make it 25-28 VT before the Hokies went on a run to make it a 7 point lead for VT again.  And here is when i noticed the calls were not going the Cards way this evening.  Morgan Jones got called for a charge when there is absolutely no way Georgia Amoore was planted to cleanly defend.  Alas, the home team gets the call and goes to the other end and nails the jumper to make it 36-30. 

HALF 36-32 

End of 3Q   26-21 Cards

FG %
10-15 66.7% Cards
7-15 46.7%  VT
Reb.  9-5 VT
3-pt %
2-3 66.7% Cards
1-6 16.7%

The Cards owned the third quarter and showed some early signs that they could do what they did to Pitt and come back in this thing.  HVL came out of the half to break the shooting slump - scoring quickly.   Mykasa also found a quick bucket to make it 36-38 and the two took some control.  VT walked to turn it over and HVL scored to tie it 38 all.  Carr's first bucket came in the final min. of 3Q to make it 58-54 Cards with less than a minute to go.  Traylor responded with a 3 of her own.. 58-57.  Traylor had 17 points on 6-9 with 3 threes, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal. 

End of 4Q   24-21 VT

FG %
7-19 36.8%  Cards
7-12 58.3%  VT
Reb.  10 all 
3-pt %
1-2 50%  Cards
3-4 75%  VT

A couple of free throws by HVL put the Cards up 60-57 but VaTech's Kayana Traylor tied it up at 60 with a three before HVL took it in for the drive and one, making it 63-60 with 7:30 left in the game.  I can appreciate the high-ponytail Mykasa.  Robinson had been somewhat struggling to get her shots to fall in recent games...she was 3-4 from the floor with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.    The two squads battled in the final quarter.  Soule picked up her 5th foul with 3 minutes left to send Jones to the line.  Jones finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.  The final 3 minutes lasted about 10 as the two teams used every opportunity to gain the advantage.  Kasa stepped in front for the steal but couldn't keep it in bounds and Traylor nailed a 3 pointer to cut the lead and make it 75-74 Cards.  In the Cards next offensive possession, Jones drove to the hoop and got fouled but missed both free throws.  VT went the other way with it and Amoore nailed the 3 in Robinson's face for the 77-75 lead and 1:48 to go.   Amoore finished with 13 points and 8 assists.  Again, Kasa comes up with the defensive stop with a huge block underneath but the Cards cannot convert on offense when Chrislyn Carr missed her attempt with 70 seconds left.  Carr had a quiet nights finishing with 6 points, 1 rebound and an assist.   As a team, VT finished the game making 4 of their 5 attempts while the Cards missed their final 5.  

Cards fall 81-79 to Virginia Tech

UP NEXT

Louisville @ Florida State

Sunday 1 P.M.

FRED REPORT

(How many fouls did Kitley get? One. In 39 minutes. Are you kidding me? Who refereed? Stevie Wonder? Or did she rediscover the Romulan cloaking device?) 

FREE THROWS --  Louisville went 12-16 at the free throw line good for 75%.  Van Lith and Morgan Jones were the only two who had an opportunity at the charity stripe.  HVL went 7-7 while Jones went 5-9.   Just because they didn't get there, doesn't mean they weren't fouled.  Capital F 

REBOUNDING --  The Cards were outrebounded 34-31 on the evening. Morgan Jones lead the charge for UofL with 9 with Robinson following closely with 8.   Olivia only had the opportunity to grab 1 in her 10 minutes on the evening.   Louisville had 10 offensive rebounds leading to 18 second chance points.  lower case r 

EFFORT/EXECUTION --  I struggle with this category the most because sometimes I choose to gauge it by numbers and other times the overall picture.  I want to go with the latter after this one because if you look at the stat sheet, it was very similar on both sides of the court.   I feel like HVL has to carry alot of the offensive weight on her shoulders.  I would've liked to see her distribute the ball more against VaTech.. she finished with only 3 assists on the evening while also turning it over 5 times.   She probably deserved a few more chances at the free throw line too that just weren't called.  She made 10 of the Cards' 31 buckets.  Capital E for effort

DEFENSE --  This game was such an even matchup on paper but it felt like 5 against 8.   The Cards shot 51% while the Hokies shot 50%.  Kitley and Soule both shot 64% and led their squad to victory over the Cards for the first time in 27 years.  lower case d

FINAL FRED TALLY:   F-r-E-d

 

P.S. It's Friday the 13th 

As always 

Go Cards! 

~Daryl